THE House of Representatives decided Wednesday night to amend the approved committee report on the draft federal constitution by including Vice President Leni Robredo in the line of succession during the transition period to federalism.
This came after Cebu City Rep. Raul del Mar moved in plenary session to recommit to the committee level the draft constitution as contained in the resolution of both chambers of Congress No. 15 under committee report No. 88.
“In order to introduce perfecting amendment on the failure to include the Vice President in the first line of succession which lead to some misunderstanding and so there is a need to clarify this,” Del Mar said.
No lawmaker objected to Del Mar’s motion.
The amended Article XVII (Transitory Provision) will read: “In case a vacancy arises by reason of removal, resignation, permanent incapacity or death of the incumbent president the incumbent vice president shall act as president until a president has been chosen and qualify (sic).”
Del Mar raised the issue on the floor after proposed provision drew flak for allegedly singling Robredo out in favor of former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who has a pending electoral protest against her.
House Majority Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. said the House would make an amendment on the matter at a proper time.
He said the amendment shall be submitted to the House of Representatives’ Committee on Constitutional Amendments, chaired by Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso, a retired Court of Appeals justice.
In related developments:
• An opposition House leader Wednesday said a proposed shift to a federal form of government might not prosper in the 17th Congress.
House Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said rewriting the 1987 Constitution “will take a gargantuan effort” for both congressmen and senators.
“Frankly, I think amending the Constitution now will take a gargantuan effort for Congress,” Suarez told a news conference.
“With this limited time of [the] 17th Congress, I do not think Charter Change in the 17th Congress will prosper. This may take off in the 18th Congress,” he added.
Suarez made the statement after the House, in plenary session Monday, opened its plenary debates on the proposed federal Constitution being pushed by the Duterte administration.
Reps. Vicente Veloso of Leyte, and Corazon Nuñez-Malanyaon of Davao Oriental, chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the House of Representatives’ Constitutional Amendments, delivered their respective sponsorship speeches to the draft constitution, as contained in resolution of both Houses of Congress 15 under Committee Report 88.
Under the House’s draft constitution, the president and vice president will be elected with each other to serve four-year terms, subject to one reelection.
Congressmen, who should be holders of college degrees, will also serve four-year terms.
The draft federal charter also provides that the first election under the proposed Constitution will be held on the second Monday of May 2022.
The House draft federal proposal, which calls for a presidential-bicameral-federal system, is different from the draft submitted by the Consultative Commission.
But being the administration’s advocacy, Suarez said he believed President Duterte would still certify the proposed federal charter as urgent.
“If there will be an appeal from the leadership to fast track it, then the minority will support it,” he said.
